The advanced guide to mobile product management

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Mobile product management though is a relatively new term, but it is growing at a great pace. In the last couple of years, you might have noticed that despite fundamentals remaining same, the roles of general product managers and the mobile product managers have changed. This includes:

Roadmap creation

Requirements definition

Performance measurement

Customer obsession

We can notice senior product managers across different industries making a switch to mobile. These veterans are hired perfect mobile app developers who also have sufficient skills and expertise in mobile product management.

However, the moment we talk about delivering new ideas for the improvement of products and prioritizing projects, the perspective and the call to action differs. Before we move ahead, Let’s find out

The points of difference

Though the intention behind the walkthrough of a general PM and a Mobile PM is same, there moves differ. Let’s learn about a few of them:

1. Prioritizing features

While General Product Managers have to plan and execute keeping in mind the vast world of desktops, for Mobile PMs things change. They have to prioritize the features as per their usability in order to serve better user experience.

2. Adorning products with life

Documentation has become the old school business with the entrance of Mobile product management. Now, the managers have to prepare the storyboards to facilitate more human-centric design.

3. Engagement

Unlike the desktop management where you just have reordered the pages and design, in mobile product management the manager has to study the relevancy and build things as per the priority and keeping in mind the ease of the flow. This proper arrangement further helps in keeping the users engaged with the program.

4. Usability key

At the time you build an app; screen size plays a vital role. The design therapy has to be implemented in a way that it fits the design. The vitality of this aspect largely defines the usability of the mobile product.

5. Change in the arena

When we use the term ‘arena’ here, we indicate the operating systems and the browsers. While opting mobile product the manager needs to ensure that the product is viable with different OS-capable versions in which the product is to be delivered.

6. Patience is must

For the web sites things simply move but if you have plans (which you need to have) to launch the upgrade, then again you have to go through a process. Every OS has its own set of rules and regulations to approve upgrades.

As a mobile product manager, you’ll certainly have to keep the patience till it gets approved and by the time keep the audience engaged through other mediums.

These were few major differences between the general product management and the mobile. Now that we are done with the differences, let us try to know;

Important things that a mobile product manager needs to keep in mind always:

1. Differences aren’t same always

Before you decide to work on mobile product management you need to take care of the differences between a mobile web app development, native app, and a hybrid app.

It isn’t just the differences but the advantages and disadvantages and pros and cons of each of them.

Once you evaluate that, you need to find out which one’s your fit. However, we would also like to share that if you’ll once have a look at the top charts, you’ll find that a majority of them are native apps.

2. Learning till depth

Apart from the learning the difference in the kind of apps, you also need to understand the OS you’ll be using. Initially, let us move ahead keeping in mind the two most famous Oss in which we are developing a mobile app; Android and iOS.

You need to look at your clients, your product, the cash, and other such things before finalizing your preferred operating system or going with both of them.

3. Model

When you talk about the desktop product management, you have a user sitting somewhere in his/er study room or office and can give extra time to perform a certain activity.

But in the case of mobile, the users are mostly in the hustle and need the task to be finished as early as possible and with the least efforts. Your product app model needs to be in a way that both these requirements are fulfilled efficiently.

4. The design is must

In the same category comes design. When we talk about the desktop, you have a wide arena to chow your designing skills, but in the case of mobile your UX design needs to fit in to look beautiful and catchy on that small screen.

The muddling color, content and other inclusions will eventually leave a poor impression in front of the users.

5. Try mvp prior to app

The minimal viable products (MVP) can also be called as a smaller version of apps. This is considered as one of the best options to go with.

Through this modus operandi, you can learn about the user feedback, bugs, and the best sections of your mobile application.

You can eventually know about the UX and the response people are giving to your mobile product. Based on this analytics you can further plan your boulevard ahead.

6. Know the constraints

Though last in this list, but the point holds major importance. Before making any decision you need to know about the constraints of the app stores. Accept the fact that the good will bring the growth, but it’s odd that can bring the fall.

Learn about the review duration of the app stores, rolling back to the previous state, etc. This information will help you survive in long run.

Conclusion

Recent years have seen a tremendous rise in mobile usage. Internet users on mobile phones have well left behind the users on desktop websites. In these scenarios the role of the Mobile Product Manager is so huge. So, to be a good mobile product manager, you must take care of all the points which are mentioned above.

You have to understand the differences and nuances of mobile app development. It’s vital that you utilize it smartly and don’t just jump in the race for the sake of joining it. You need to do a lot of research and go through different analytics before finalizing your decision.

co-founder at one of the best app development agency, Peerbits. He devotes his time in inspiring young leaders to take the leap of faith. With the experience of 10 years in Web and App development, he now gives full attention to the enterprise by offering mobility solutions about the strategic planning and execution.